TCIII ArduRover (Traxxas E-Maxxs) Build Log

Finally getting my ArduRover moving (pun intended) again now that I have retired and finally resettled to Flordia. I have included a couple of pictures. One is the basic Traxxas E-Maxxs Chassis with a 1/4" thick HDPE plate attached between the body support posts. The other pictures are a mockup of the obstacle avoidance sensors and Arduino Uno processor. There will be another plate mounted 2 and 1/2" above the lower plate and will support an APM1/Oilpan, GPS, compass, 3DR 900MHz telemetry module, a GoPro HD camera (just like JLN), and assorted batteries and running lights. I plan to test the obstacle avoidance and navigation functions separately and then integrate them once they function on their own.

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Nice work as usual! I have a similar project i am working. I find that since these vehicles do not make skid/tank style turns, it makes it a more difficult to automate. I did find an RC monster truck sold at select Radio Shacks, Toys-R-Us and Walmart that do support skid turns and may be a better fit for what i want to do..which is provide both manual and autonomous modes. I believe the base for the trucks are same as the one used here:

Thanks for the kudos, much appreciated. That is an interesting chassis that you have linked to. If you want to compete like in the Sparkfun AVC, then you are going to need as strong a chassis as possible because of other wayward vehicles at the start and the ramp which cause some of the competition to come apart after the jump. That is why I have stuck with Traxxas chassis as they are bullet proof compared to other chassis IMHO and experience.

I have two 6WD rovers that use skid steering and can turn in their own diameter. These are great for RoboMagellan.

Since those pictures were taken, I have added two Maxbotix MB1240 sonars to the left and right front of the roll cage to help with obstacle avoidance.

The Traxxas E-Maxx is very fast (60 mph) as it has an almost 1 hp brushless electric motor for propulsion. I built the E-Maxx from parts purchased from reputable R/C sellers on eBay. I started with just the chassis and no suspension or anything else and built the rover up from there. I used the Traxxas exploded chassis views and parts list to help complete the project.

There is a lot of travel in the suspension so it can take turns very fast without rolling over or having to slow down much. I added the roll cage just for safety and for a place to mount additional hardware. I am powering the APM from a separate 3S LiPo mounted on the rear suspension tower on the other side of the PM. There is no way that the 3DR PM was going to handle the current that the motor can draw under acceleration.:-)

I love your E-maxx build. I started with an E-max 10 years ago and have ben upgrading it ever since. Right now it is just a FPV with a plastic hummer top and a Hero2 sitting on the head of a doll. Fun to drive but I really want to get the options of a drone put into it. I'm waiting for my board to show up and love what you have done with your setup. I noticed someone asking for your UNO code. Is it posted somewhere. It would help a lot to start off where you are with it. I have the same sensor setup you have on a tracked robot with the code from Minds-I. It was fun changing it around to work with a tracked robot but combing it with the rc control was a little out of my league.